The Magic Number
If you ask anyone how much sleep they need, they will say "Eight Hours." This number has become a cultural commandment. But biologically, it is arbitrary. Quality of sleep is determined not just by duration, but by Continuity and Timing. Waking up at the wrong time—even after 8 hours—can ruin your morning.
Ultradian Rhythms
The brain transitions through different stages of electrical activity during the night. These are known as Sleep Cycles. The average adult takes roughly 90 minutes to complete one full cycle.
- Stage 1 & 2 (Light Sleep): Heart rate slows, body temp drops.
- Stage 3 & 4 (Deep/Slow Wave Sleep): The restorative phase. The brain is unresponsive to external stimuli.
- REM (Rapid Eye Movement): Dreaming and memory consolidation.
- Completion: The body briefly enters a near-waking state before starting the next cycle.
The Danger of 8 Hours
Let's do the math. If a cycle is 90 minutes:
- 5 Cycles = 450 minutes = 7.5 Hours.
- 6 Cycles = 540 minutes = 9.0 Hours.
What happens at 8 Hours (480 minutes)? You are 30 minutes into a new cycle. This puts you squarely in Stage 3 Deep Sleep.
Sleep Inertia
When your alarm screams while you are in Deep Sleep, you suffer from Sleep Inertia. Your brain is flooded with Adenosine (sleep pressure) and is operating on slow Delta waves. Forcing it to wake up instantly creates a neurochemical "lag." You feel disoriented, heavy, and irritable. Cognitive performance can be impaired for up to 4 hours, regardless of how much coffee you drink.
Conversely, if you wake up at the end of a cycle (Light Sleep), your brain is already ramping up its activity (Beta waves). Waking up feels natural and effortless.
The WellFact Protocol
The goal is to time your wake-up with the end of a 90-minute block. The Calculation: Decide when you need to wake up, and count backward in 90-minute increments.
- Wake Up: 7:00 AM
- Bedtime A: 10:00 PM (9 Hours - 6 cycles)
- Bedtime B: 11:30 PM (7.5 Hours - 5 cycles)
- Bedtime C: 1:00 AM (6 Hours - 4 cycles)
Note: Add ~15 minutes to these times to account for "Sleep Latency" (the time it takes to actually fall asleep).